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How Japanese Artist Aria Creates Whiskery 3D Drawings That Look Like They’re Popping Off the Page

All images via Aria.

When you look at Aria's drawings, it's easy to mistake them for reality. The 25-year-old Japanese artist is famous on social media for creating realistic illustrations of animals and objects that look like they're about to jump off the page. Her latest piece captures the whiskery form of a catfish whose tail magically escapes the boundary of the paper.
Despite its three-dimensional appearance, Aria's artwork is, in fact, two-dimensional. An expertly executed drawing with incredible depth and realism may appear to be a photograph. She accomplishes this by carefully sketching the thing and then layering colored pencils over it. This method allows her to re-create light and shadow, making each drawing appear three-dimensional.
Aria also utilizes another trick to help the illusion of her work. After completing the drawing, she cuts out a portion of the silhouette's top from the paper. It's simple to deceive the eyes by including a tiny touch. Thanks to this little addition, her pictures appear to be real things and creatures resting on or leaping off the flat paper.
Keep up to date with Aria's newest sketches by following her on Instagram and Twitter.